Q35 of 312 Page 221

Explain why, diamond can be used in rock drilling equipment but graphite cannot.

In diamond, each carbon atom is bonded to 4 other carbon atoms through strong covalent bonds. These four atoms form four vertices of a regular tetrahedron which form a rigid structure and thus make it hard. Hence, it is used in rock drilling equipments but graphite is soft and hence not used in rock drilling equipments.

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